Having a chronic illness can increase the amount of stress in your life. In fact, research has shown that stress and some chronic illnesses (asthma, heart disease, arthritis, as examples) are linked. Stress can “drive immune changes and inflammation in the body that can worsen symptoms of conditions…[and] issues caused by stress can also be…
“Social determinants of health are stressors that relate to physical health.” So says Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith, Executive Director of Cradle Cincinnati, Field Service Assistant Professor at UC Medical Center, and Founder of Queens Village. “And chronic, prolonged stress just magnifies [health] problems.” Consistent access to nutritious food, affordable and suitable housing, and transportation are just…
Have you ever been stressed out about something at work and not been able to let it go once you got home? Maybe you were sitting at the dinner table, and your child was excitedly telling you something, but you were only halfway present. You were nodding and smiling, but you were also turning the…
Community Health Workers (CHWs) see people in crisis every day. Program participants might not have enough to eat or a safe place to live. They might be suffering from a chronic illness. It’s rewarding for CHWs to watch program participants make positive changes and overcome barriers. Those changes can have a profound effect on community…
What if you’re caring for a family member unexpectedly? An ill parent, partner, or child can turn your world upside-down. Not only do you worry about their health, but it can feel as if their comfort and ability to recover is tied to the quality of your care. That pressure can come from within, from…
What happens when you know you will face at least some form of trauma every day of your life? How do you cope? There are many types of trauma including acute, complex, generational, and chronic trauma. Acute trauma is the kind associated with one big event, like a home invasion or a car accident. But…
Racial trauma can be caused in so many ways. Racism can be overt or covert. It might take the form of an explosive event or a small comment. People of color also constantly experience microaggressions—tiny hostile communications. Racism is traumatic whether it’s baked into the system or perpetrated by an individual. It’s traumatic when it’s…
More than one in five adults in the United States is living with a mental illness. The same is true for youth ages 13-18. Cincinnati nonprofit 1N5 takes its name from that statistic. Its mission is to “prevent suicide by erasing the stigma of mental illness and promoting optimal mental wellness.” Start at the beginning…
What’s the matter with kids these days? You can’t get them to put down their phones for a nice family dinner. They’re constantly on TikTok! That’s a cliché, of course. Most people from older generations are just as invested in their devices as young people are. Now that communication has become portable, people are constantly…
One of the most powerful tools in substance use disorder recovery is self-care. And it works equally well for those on both sides of the equation: the people who are in recovery and their loved ones. Kellen Hicks, Drug and Alcohol Counselor, MS, LICDCCS, Cincy Pride Counseling, says self-care can help those affected by substance…
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